A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent desclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device having achievement criteria, wherein the player advances if the player meets the criteria, and the game ends if the player does not meet the criteria.
Known gaming machines randomly generate outcomes for a player and have varying levels of player interaction. Wagering gaming machines exist having no player interaction and only a random generation. PCT application number PCT/AU97/00121 entitled, xe2x80x9cSlot Machine Game with Roaming Wild Card,xe2x80x9d discloses a slot machine having a video display containing a plurality of rotatable reels with game symbols. When the player receives a triggering symbol or symbol combination, the game produces a bonus symbol. The bonus symbol moves from game symbol to game symbol temporarily changing the game symbol to a bonus symbol. If the change results in a winning combination, the player receives an award.
Known gaming machines also have a random generation and a player selection. For instance, one known gaming machine provides a player one or more opportunities to select masked bonus awards from a group of masked awards displayed to the player. When the player selects a masked award, the player receives the value of the award, the game displays a message that the player may continue and enables the player to select another masked award. The player selects another masked award, and the sequence continues until the player selects a masked terminator. European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 A2 discloses such a game.
Known gaming machines have a plurality of random generations, a player selection and a player decision. For instance, one game allows players to accept or decline multiple award offers. The TOP DOLLAR(copyright) gaming device, which is manufactured and distributed by the assignee of this application, provides the player with three offers and a final award. When an offer is given, the player may accept or reject it by pushing an accept button or a reject button, respectively. If the player accepts an offer, the player receives the accepted bonus amount and the bonus round terminates. If the player declines an offer, the game generates another offer for the player. The final award is automatically provided to the player.
In each of these games, the random selections do not accumulate; rather, they are evaluated independently. That is, the roaming wildcard game has only one random generation, wherein the game randomly generates a plurality of symbols, which determine whether the roaming wildcard produces winning combinations. In the select until game, the player""s picks are evaluated individually, whereby a single uncovered game terminator ends the game. In the offer acceptance game, the player evaluates the outcome of a single random generation to determine whether to keep the outcome or risk a swap.
The present invention includes a gaming device which displays a plurality of choices or selections to a player, whereby each choice generates or provides an associated number of points. In one embodiment, the points equal awards that the game provides to the player. The game provides an initial number of picks to the player. The game also maintains a regeneration amount, whereby the player receives a new number of picks if the points or awards associated with the player""s choices or picks accumulate at least to the regeneration amount, within the initial number of picks.
The gaming device of the present invention also includes a plurality of point tables which include the points that the processor associates with the choices or picks. The processor of the gaming device accumulates the total points, which is the sum of all points associated with the player""s choices or picks.
The processor also maintains a goal amount of points. The game provides an award to the player when the player achieves the goal or goal amount. This award is in addition to awards achieved when the player generates points (in the embodiment where the points equal awards).
The game preferably selects and uses a point table from a plurality of point tables, wherein the selected point table is associated with a percentage of the goal achieved. The percentage is the player""s total points divided by the goal amount of points. That is, as the player accumulates points, the percentage of the goal amount increases. The processor then chooses a point table from the plurality of point tables based on the current percentage. The game maintains certain percent ranges, such as 0-15%, 16-30%, etc., whereby the game maintains a different point table for each range. The present invention further includes a plurality of point tables for each range, wherein the game randomly chooses one of the tables when the player accumulates enough points to enter a range.
The present invention includes a preferred method for operating the gaming device. In this method, the game displays a plurality of choices and provides a number of picks to a player. The game prompts the player to pick a choice and, upon a pick, sends a corresponding input to the processor. The game provides an associated number of points to the player and adds the points to any previously accumulated points, to form a total number of points. The game adds the pick to any previously accumulated picks to form a total number of picks.
The game determines if the total number of points is equal or greater than a regeneration amount and if the total picks equals the number of provided picks. The game provides a new number or set of picks if the total number of points is equal to or greater than the regeneration amount. The game prompts the player to pick a new choice if the total number of picks is less than the number of provided picks and the total number of points is less than the regeneration amount. The game ends if the total number of picks equals the number of provided picks and the total number of points is less than the regeneration amount.
The present invention includes an alternative method associated with the operation of the gaming device. In this method, the game displays a plurality of choices on a display device. The processor maintains a plurality of point tables, wherein the point tables include points associated with the choices or picks. The processor accumulates a total number of points via the player""s picks. The processor maintains a goal amount and assigns a point table to each choice or pick based on a percentage, wherein the percentage equals the total number of points divided by the goal amount. The processor prompts the player to make a choice and upon receiving an input, provides points from the assigned point table. The points preferably equal awards for the player.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a gaming device having a number of picks and a regeneration amount, wherein the game regenerates the number of picks if the player accumulates the regeneration amount of points within the initially provided number of picks.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the gaming device maintains a goal amount and accumulates a player""s points, whereby the accumulated points divided by the goal amount form a percentage, and whereby the game selects a point table based on the current percentage.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.